Psychiatric Times

Psychiatric Times

Drug Abuse Hitting Middle-aged More Than Gen-XersBy Richard A. Sherer
While teen drug use continues to decline, it is the baby boomers who are suffering the greatest losses from substance abuse, and whose plight is largely overlooked by policy makers.

Antidepressants: Youth Suicide Warnings Increasingly QuestionedBy Kenneth J. Bender, PharmD, MA
The FDA advisories warning of increased suicide risk among children and adolescents beginning antidepressant therapy have alarmed the health care community—but it may be a disservice to withhold these medications from those who need them.

Exploring Phantom Limb PainBy Steven A. King, MD, MS
First described more than 500 years ago, phantom limb pain is a common disorder today. Although it is easy to diagnose, its cause remains unclear, it can be difficult to manage successfully, and health care professionals often do not address it.

Can Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Be Prevented?By Jay M. Pomerantz, MD
Pilot studies show that preventing PTSD after vulnerable persons are exposed to extreme life-threatening trauma is possible, although we are in the very early stages of knowing exactly what to do.

RVUs—Whose Value Is It, Anyway?By Jeffrey Junig, MD, PhD
There is no shortage of evidence for the notion that society places a low value on the treatment of mental illness. Have psychiatrists bought into the attitude that mental health is less valuable than physical health?

Update on the Antidepressant ControversyBy Karen Dineen Wagner, MD, PhD
A black box warning about increased suicidality in pediatric patients is now required for all antidepressant medications. This article reviews a number of studies on this topic that were published after the FDA advisory was issued.